“Next week gives us a few days to plan. We can gather more intelligence and keep both men under surveillance. I developed a digital recording device that can handle traveling through Shadow. We can gather evidence against them.”
Stacey nodded, her eyes looking sad. More than anything, Hugh wished he could keep the evil in the world from touching her, but her father placed Stacey in the middle of it when he made her an agent.
“Come on, baby. You need some sleep before our big day. Don’t forget we’re getting married tomorrow.”
“Not exactly,” Stacey said. She rose from the table and turned to put an arm around him. “Tomorrow is a bonding ceremony.”
Hugh smiled. He hadn’t told her that they also would be getting married tomorrow. Katherine knew to invite Isanti Quiet Thunder to marry them as part of the ceremony. He lifted her chin with one finger so he could stare into her blue eyes.
“I’m going to tie us together as tightly as I can. I already told you, I’m never letting you go.”
Stacey sighed and then kissed his lips, teasing them with gentle brushes of her own. “Hugh, I’m not letting you go, so stop worrying. Let me get your pain medicine then we’ll go to bed.”
Hugh cupped her cheek with the hand on his uninjured side and took her mouth. This kiss wasn’t a tease or gentle caress. This kiss claimed her. Stacey leaned into him, her arms holding him tightly around the waist. His hardness pushed into her softness, showing her how much he wanted her, needed her.
Stacey sighed. “You need to rest your shoulder. We can finish this tomorrow after the bonding ceremony.”
“Do you promise?”
Stacey laughed. “Yes, I promise.”
Chapter Twelve
Stacey ran her fingers over the champagne silk dress. She looked in the mirror and smiled. It fit perfectly. When Kathy said she could have everything ready by this afternoon, Stacey expected something simple, but trucks had been arriving at Isanti, Inc. since dawn.
When the dress arrived at their apartment, Stacey had been astounded. Kathy even figured the size right. A similar box arrived for Nadezhda and Stacey couldn’t wait to see what dress Kathy chose for her sister.
If only their mother could see them now. Stacey’s heart fell. Her dad wasn’t going to be here to see the ceremony. They hadn’t spoken since the attack on the cabin. She’d thought of calling him and demanding answers, but it was always easier to let it rest. Somehow she kept hoping her father wasn’t the traitor he appeared to be. She frowned.
“What’s the matter, Anastacia? You don’t like the dress?” Alyona walked up next to her and looked in the mirror. “You look beautiful.”
Stacey admired her aunt’s reflection. She wore a light blue silk dress that fell to her ankles. Her aunt wasn’t a carbon copy of her sister. Her hair was a shade darker and she stood a tad shorter, but the family resemblance was there. In a way, it felt like her mother sent Alyona into her life at the absolute right moment.
“I love the dress. I was just thinking about Mom and Dad. I wish they could be here to see the ceremony.”
“Your mother lives in our hearts. She’s here with you.” Alyona patted Stacey’s chest over her heart. “Come, let me fix your hair. The ceremony begins in fifteen minutes and I still need to check on your sister.”
Stacey obediently sat and let Alyona style her hair up in a twist. Were Hugh and Dasan ready for the ceremony to begin? They’d gone down the hall to another Shadow Walker’s apartment, letting Nadezhda and Stacey use their rooms to prepare.
Alyona finished by setting a wreath of white flowers on Stacey’s head.
“The perfect finishing touch. While you slip your shoes on, I’m going to see how Nadezhda is doing.” Alyona hurried from the room and the door shut with a click.
Stacey stepped into the shoes that arrived with the dress. She was ready. Hugh made her happy, they’d been excellent partners while working together and they’d make excellent partners now.
She glanced at the phone and picked it up. Her stomach clenched even as she punched in the numbers. She had to take the chance and call. This was her wedding. She needed to tell her father. Dialing his private number she waited for him to pick up.
“Holland.”
“Dad, it’s me.”
“Dammit, girl, why didn’t you call me and let me know you were all right? I had to hear it from Darkwood.” His voice picked up in volume.
“Dad,” Stacey interrupted. She couldn’t let her father get started on one of his lectures. “I’m getting married today. I thought you should know.”
Her father sputtered. “Hugh Thunder Hoof and I are going to talk about this. I’m sorry I won’t be there. Have someone snap a picture and send it to me. Be happy. I know my dragging you into the agency wasn’t the best for you, but you were a natural. Call me after the honeymoon. We’ll discuss your coming back to work.”
“I’m not coming back to work, Dad. I’m going to build a life with Hugh. I have to go, the ceremony starts any minute. I love you.” Stacey hung up the phone. She didn’t want to give her father time to try and talk her out of her decision.
A knock on the door signaled the time for the ceremony to begin. She opened the door to find Alyona and Radu standing in the hall with Nadezhda. Her sister glowed in the cream satin dress Kathy picked for her. Where Stacey’s gown boasted a wide skirt, her sister’s clung to her body and showed off her slender figure.
“Nadezhda, you look amazing.” Stacey hugged her.
“You look pretty awesome yourself, little sister,” Nadezhda said, pulling her close.
“Put on your ring. Nadezhda has hers.” Alyona handed Stacey the beautiful emerald ring she’d seen before. Alyona wore a matching ring in amethyst, while Nadezhda’s was sapphire.
“Wow, Stacey, you look gorgeous,” Derek Darkwood said, walking up to the group. “I’m here to usher all of you to the ceremony.”
Derek looked stunning in his tuxedo, perpetuating his reputation as a playboy. Stacey had once pretended to be Derek’s wife during an assignment, but that was years ago. They’d had fun together, but no spark. Then he’d met Kathy and Stacey met Hugh.
Stacey introduced the others to Derek and they soon followed him outside. A white canvas pavilion had been set up and filled with chairs, along with two others on the side that held tables of food.
Hugh helped a delicate looking pregnant woman into a seat in the front row. He looked up and smiled as Stacey walked closer, almost as if he could feel her presence. Her heart beat faster and she forgot to breathe. He wore a tuxedo and could have stepped out of the pages of a magazine. Dasan, similarly attired, stood near, speaking to an older man dressed in the ceremonial garb of the Nuni Nagi, or Shadow Walker tribe. She assumed he was their shaman.
Nadezhda nudged her to keep going and Stacey took a deep breath. Derek drifted away and Stacey continued to follow her aunt. She paused momentarily to slip off her shoes where a line of salt around three inches thick lay on the ground in front of her. She followed the curve with her gaze and realized they just stepped, barefoot, into a circle lined with the salt.
Dasan waved the shaman before him and then both he and Hugh stepped into the circle as well. They met in the middle of the space where a small table stood. Hugh walked over and took her hand, while Dasan took Nadezhda’s.
“You look beautiful,” Hugh whispered.
Alyona greeted the shaman and then turned to face the group. Radu began to walk around the edge of the circle holding a knife in his hand and chanting something low. Stacey could feel Radu’s words, almost as if the vibrations rubbed against her skin.
“Before coming to America, this ceremony would have been held in secret with fear of retaliations by our government,” Alyona began. “Here we are allowed to celebrate and worship openly. Radu has closed the circle and we are now free to begin. Mr. Quiet Thunder will start and then I will finish the ceremony. It’s important that you stay in the circle until it’s opened again at the close. Do y
ou understand?”
Stacey nodded and so did the others. The shaman stepped forward.
“Here we go, baby,” Hugh whispered in her head. He squeezed her hand.
The shaman called in the four directions and said a prayer to the Great Spirit. He then turned to the two couples and spoke of love and commitment to each other. Taking a leather strap, he tied the right hands of each couple together. Then using an eagle feather, he waved aromatic smoke over them to make the binding sacred. When his part of the ceremony was finished, Stacey looked at Hugh and smiled, her eyes a little watery. She felt truly married.
“Are you crying?” He lifted his left hand and brushed a tear off her cheek.
“Happy tears. I love you, Hugh.”
“I love you too, baby. Now comes the magic part of the ceremony.”
“Are you nervous?” Stacey asked.
“Yeah, I am, but if it guarantees your safety, then I’m all for it.”
Alyona cleared her throat and stared at them.
“Oops, busted,” Hugh sent telepathically, a twinkle in his eyes. Stacey felt the amusement behind the words. She couldn’t help but smile.
“Reach deep into the Earth, all of you,” Alyona directed. “Feel roots grow from the bottom of your feet and watch as they travel down, down, down to the center of the Earth. Let them wrap around the ball of crystal that sits at the center and wait until you feel the ball pulse with energy before following the roots up and into your bodies.”
From the look of concentration on Hugh’s face, Stacey knew he tried to follow her aunt’s directions. Dasan too looked determined. Alyona stepped forward and untied the leather straps binding them. She handed each strap to the men, first Hugh and then Dasan.
“If you gentlemen will turn and wrap the strap around your mate’s waist. Hold it tightly with both hands and remember those roots holding you to Earth. Be strong and continue to hold on, no matter what. Remember, you are the anchors.”
“Ladies, you are going to feel your powers rise as if from the Earth, through your feet and out the top of your heads and hands. Don’t be afraid. Know this is a safe place. Concentrate on your ring. Focus on the color within the stone. Welcome your gifts, whatever they are. Your mate is your anchor. Trust that he will hold you safely. Are you ready?”
Hugh’s hands gripped on the strap pulling it tightly. Stacey nodded.
“Both of you repeat after me. Our lives we bind, the powers mine.” Stacey heard her sister join her recitation. A tingling began on the bottom of her feet.
“The Goddess chose our lives to hold, to love, and serve our purpose true.”
The vibration grew stronger and began to travel up Stacey’s legs. She gasped when she felt her body begin to rise from the ground when the vibration reached her waist. Hugh grunted and held her tightly with the strap.
“Her gifts we clasp our hearts hold fast. Three daughters claim divine her name.”
Stacey felt the vibration rise from her waist up to her head. The pressure was so great her head felt like it wanted to explode. Then the vibration ran down her arms.
Her palms began to get hot. Light suddenly burst from both her head and hands. She raised her arms toward the sky.
Flowers bloomed at her feet. A flock of crows flew around the circle three times cawing loudly. The table rose and danced in the air. Beneath it, water bubbled from the ground. Flames erupted along the salt circle.
Stacey couldn’t move her head to look at her sister, the power flowing from the top, holding her like a rod down her spine.
“As it harms none, our will be done, and so it is, and so it is, and so it is.” Alyona intoned.
Stacey repeated the last stanza of the spell. She concentrated on the emerald and slipped into a place of green. Her heart thudded in her chest. It was beautiful and terrifying. She was one with everything, connected to each cell making up the whole world, the whole universe. Her instincts told her to send love to each particle of matter, every person, place, or thing. Her power covered the planet before finally returning and settling into her skin, her cells, and her energy field. The ground pulled her down. Hugh’s hands held her firmly.
The green receded into the ring. Stacey blinked as her feet settled on the ground. What would Hugh think of her now? Would he consider her a freak? It wasn’t everyday a woman levitated in front of you, a woman who you were tied to for the rest of your life.
Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself to look at him. She gulped. His hands still held her waist. Instead of horror, his face held a mixture of awe and pride. His lips crashed onto hers, his arms pulled her close.
His mouth plundered, his tongue seeking each hidden recess. She answered him with everything she felt. Desire swamped her. Her arms circled his neck, her hands buried in his hair. Hugh was her anchor, her man. She loved him, needed him more than he would ever need her. She poured her love into his mouth trying to fill every cell in his body.
Finally, the sounds of people clapping and shouting congratulations caught her attention. In the moment, she’d forgotten they had an audience. She pulled back and looked around. Hugh’s hands stayed at her waist.
The table had settled and water no longer rose from the ground. The fire was out and left a line of burnt grass in its wake. The flowers beneath her feet filled the air with fragrance. The crows could be heard calling from the trees.
The old shaman smiled and nodded at her. He picked up his belongings and looked to Alyona. Dasan held Nadezhda in his arms. She looked up at him adoringly.
“Radu is opening the circle now,” Alyona said, nodding toward her husband.
Stacey turned. Radu took the knife he had used earlier and cut through the circle of ash. Suddenly, a breeze caught the ash and it flew into the sky. The ceremony was over and the circle disappeared.
People surged forward to offer their congratulations. Hugh kept his hands on her and led her from the circle to a set of tables under a tent. He sat and pulled her into his lap. Stacey put her arm around his neck as people continued to approach them.
The pregnant woman who Stacey had seen with Hugh approached with Raven Darkwood, and was introduced as his wife, Cara. Kathy rushed over to hug them and then rushed off again to supervise the serving of the food. A waiter brought a tray of champagne and offered two glasses.
Stacey wanted nothing more than to go someplace and hide. It all seemed like too much. She began to tremble.
Hugh tightened his hold on her. “It’s okay, baby. Hold onto me. I’ve got you.”
“Hugh…” What should she say? If it felt overwhelming to her, how much more must it seem to him after seeing her magic? Magic she knew nothing about.
“I know, honey. Just hang on. I’ll get you someplace quiet as soon as I can.”
§
Hugh felt Stacey tremble. They both needed a moment alone together, but instead were surrounded by their friends, his tribe. He sat her at one of the tables and held her hand as people continued to congratulate them.
A woman’s voice coming over a loud speaker caught their attention. It was Kathy.
“If everyone will take his or her places, a light lunch will be served.”
The people milling around began to walk toward the empty seats. Dasan walked over with Nadezhda and joined them at their table.
“Lunch? Kathy outdid herself. I’m not sure I can eat after all that magic poured into me. I feel very full. How are you doing, Anastacia?” Nadezhda asked.
“I think I’m feeling a little overwhelmed. I don’t know where to start when it comes to what I saw and experienced.”
“That’s to be expected,” Alyona said walking up to the table. She and Radu joined them as waiters began to walk from table to table with trays of salad. “The important thing is that your powers are now safely integrated into your very cells. You can use the focus of the ring to call them forth until you are comfortable with having them.”
“How will we know what powers to use?” Stacey asked.
“It is mostly instinctive,” Radu said running his hand down his wife’s hair. “Remember your magic is related to the elements. Normally, a Baba Yaga has one element she uses the most, even though the others will answer her call. I expect Anastacia will find Earth to answer her most readily, while Nadezhda will find Air to be her main conduit.”
“Why those and not Fire and Water?” Nadezhda picked up a fork and began to eat.
“Because of the rings you bear. Green is heart energy and the color for Earth. Blue is communication energy, which is connected to air because of the vibrations involved. You can both call Fire and Water if you wish. All four elements are available to you. I’m only suggesting you pick one. Your forbearers normally used one element more than others.” Radu smiled at his wife.
“I would have thought the blue stone would call forth water,” Dasan said.
“Yes, and it can,” Alyona said. “But the stone is tied to a chakra or power source. Blue is connected to the throat chakra, hence the communication. When we speak, vibrations travel along currents of air.”
“That’s why you think Nadezhda should choose Air,” Hugh said. Radu nodded.
He picked up a forkful of salad and fed it to Stacey who hadn’t touched her food. She smiled at him as she chewed.
“Are you all right, my love?” he sent to her.
He was worried. She looked strained. He hoped this experience wasn’t too much for her.
“Could we go for a short walk? I need a moment to regroup.” Stacey answered.
“Absolutely. If you’ll excuse us a moment,” Hugh said to the group as he rose from his chair and reached for Stacey. “We’ll be back momentarily.”
Hugh took her hand and led her to a row of trees that stood a few feet away from the gathering. Stacey leaned against a trunk and wrapped her arms around herself.
“Are you cold? I can get you a wrap.” Hugh brushed his fingers over her cheek. He wanted to touch her, to drag her into his arms and never let her go.
Trapped In Shadow (Shadow Walker Romance Series Book 4) Page 12
